II, Theaterstücke 25, Professor Bernhardi. Komödie in fünf Akten (Ärztestück, Junggesellenstück), Seite 669

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Prie Birtottssy, 110sse 0j Wif#ting Cättses,
does it Again: Basil, Blum, und Ballet
1
—An Historical Film without George
Arliss in the Lead!

author I suspect to be on the side of the doctor, particularly
when the whole town is sent into a pother by bis action, and anti¬
Semitism inevitably puts its ugly finger in the pie, although not
to any great extent. Also, Schnitzler is obvionsly an anti¬
Clericalist.
I make no apolouv for #
dealng at length with a play at
an outlring theatre, a 0
which may never come 10 cch.
5
tral London, and would pro¬
bably lose money if it did. It
has more merit in it both as a
play and as an inducement for
some good hard thinking than
the whole of, theatrically speak¬
ing, Shaftesbury Avenue and
the Strand put together.
The acting is flawiess.
W
Mr. Abraham Sofaer plays the
Jew doctor with all the dignity
2
and subtlety of the best types
of his race; since the retirement
of Henry Ainley the British
BRIGHT FARE AT THE ST. MARTIN’S: Two episodes in the new comedy, Heroes Don't Care. Lest—
stage has surely known no finer
Sir Edward Pakenham (Felix Aylmer; centre) and his attractive wife Polly (Carol Goodner) are preparing
voice than this. The part of
to retire for the night—their last together before he leaves on a Polar expedition—when a memben
the priest is less showy, but
the party (Frederick Piper) brings a telegram saying some of the stores have been mislaid.
Righ-Connie Crawford (Coral Brown).the aviatrix who has set her heart on accompanyingthe expedition
Mr. Bernard Merefield was
equally striking. Mr. Alan
Wheatley and Mr. Ronald
Adam were other important elements
in a team which had no tail.
9


0
8
OH DEAR. WHAT CAN THE MATTER BED“ Sir Edward Paken¬
ham being patched up after his ’plane had come to grief,
* DO not expect again
to see a religious
icon Setme Tone Cee at ine St. Mastine rheatre
and political discussion
treated with such diplo¬
of the so-called serions plavs out cf
macy and at such a high level of
athousand produced nowadays deal¬
interest as it is in Professor Bern¬
hardt, produced last week at that
ing with love in its varions forms
home of winning causes, the
(usually the adulterous form), murder,
Embassy Theatre. The author is
gangsters, or some solvable or un¬
Schnitzler, whose sparkling Anatol
solvable but invariably dull mys¬
playlets many will remember, and
tery,it is good to find a new
the translation is by Messrs. Louis
channel explored and explored so
Boreil and Ronald Adam.
well. The discussion arising from
Now the contest between scien¬
the initial incident is brilliantly con¬
tiße rationalism and religions
trived and written, is spiced with
ironic wit, and never approaches
fanaticism is almost as old as
boredom, which is leagues and a
Adam, and certainly much older
thensand miles away.
than Mr. Ronald Adam. Anti¬
Semitism and pro-Semitism are of
That incident is short and
more recent growth—emphasis on
compact. Bernhardi is a Viennese
the gulf between them, that is to
doctor and a Jew. His patient is a
say—and that is something most of
Roman Catholic, who is dying, but
does not know that she is dying.
us deplore. Such delicate ground
A priest is summoned to give her
is trodden by the author with a
absolution. Bernhardi refuses to let
sense of proportion and also a
sense of humour (which possibly
him see her. The reason for his
amounts to much the same thing).
refusal is not religious nor is it
Herethe battle is not beiween
scientific, though he stands through¬
Jew and Christian as such so much
out as primarily a scientist; it is
as between a common-sense scientist
simply that he would be lacking in
who happens to be a Jew and a
humanity if be allowed the presence
of the priest to change the woman
mystic who happens to be a
from a state of serene happiness and
Christian. Both characters are
hope to one of hysterical terror at
drawn sympathetically.
the approach of death.
From this preamble it may be
That is all. Much may be said
suspected that Professor Bern¬
for the point of view of both the
hardt is strong meat. It is not
meat for habes or nit-wits, for
doctor and the priest, and much is
lich we may be truly thankful.
said in this original and, I think,
extremely valuable drama. The
hundred-andenine nine
Withning